The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday filed charges against the President, Surveyors Council of Nigeria Mr Joseph Agbenla, in an FCT High Court, Zuba.
The ICPC is accusing Agbenla of allegedly diverting N4.9 million meant for official assignments into his personal use.
According to count-one filed by ICPC, “ that you Surveyor Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla, on 19 Dec. 2017, being a public officer with the Surveyors Council of Nigeria conferred corrupt advantage upon yourself when you received the sum of N2.5 million paid into your Guarantee Trust Bank Account Number 0108278960 through a bank transfer from one Ezekiel Okunola on behalf of the council as Duty Tour Allowance (DTA).
It added that, the DTA was for a monitoring and evaluation exercise to the south south region of Nigeria but he allegedly failed to embark on the said tour rather claimed to have used the money for other personal purposes.
The ICPC alleged that Agbenla thereby committed an offence punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
“Count two reads in part that you Surveyor Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla, on 19 April, 2018, conferred corrupt advantage upon yourself when you received the sum of N2,410, 000 through your Guarantee Trust Bank Account Number 0108278960 through a bank transfer from one Ezekiel Okunolaon behalf of the council.
“The money was to enable you attend the 2018 International Federation of Surveyors Conference in Turkey which you failed to attend rather claimed to have used the money for other personal purposes you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 19 of the ICPC Act 2000.
Count-three accused the defendant of dishonestly used the money (the 2.5million DTA) for his personal use with violates section 311 of the penal code and punishable under section 312 of the penal code.
It alleged that act of the defendant was violation of the discharge of the trust of attending the said conference and he thereby committed an offence punishable under section 312 of the penal code.
However, when the matter came up for arraignment, the defence counsel Mr O. Poroye, apologised for the absence of the defendant in court.
He informed the court that the defendant was involved in an accident in Lagos where sustained injury.
The defence counsel therefore made an oral application for the court to adjourn the matter to enable the defendant appears in court for arraignment on the next adjourned date.
He also told the court that, the defendant has been on an administrative bail granted to him by the ICPC.
In his response the ICPC counsel , Mr Evans Peters told the court that the prosecution was not aware of the development and there was no medical report to support the position of the defence.
